Word.ws English Dictionary

polyglot

Syllables: pol·y·glot/ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/US/ˈpɑlɪˌɡlɑt/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

polyglot noun: a publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages.

polyglot: a publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several...
Image: Brocar, Arnao Guillén de, died 1523 Jiménez de Cisneros, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noun

polyglot (plural polyglots)

  1. A publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages.
    • [T]hose coming to the warehouses' doors fired them, and burned all the books and the pillars of the church, […] A great want thereof there will be of books, specially Latin books and foreign books; and, among others, the Polyglottes and new Bible, which he believes will be presently worth £40...1666 October 14 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “October 5th, 1666”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume VI...
    • But ſince that period the biblical apparatus has been much enriched by the publication of polyglots; […]1792, William Newcome, “Arguments Shewing that an Improved Version of the Bible is Expedient”, in An Historical View of the English Biblical Translations: The Expediency of Revising by Authority our...
  2. (also, figuratively) One who has mastered (especially when able to speak) several languages.
    • Laſtly, a polyg[l]ot or good linguiſt may alſo be term'd a uſefull learned man, ſpecially if vers'd in School-languages.c. 1646–1647, James Howell, “VIII. To the Right Honourable My Lord of D.”, in [Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ.] A Third Volume of Familiar Letters of a Fresher Date. […], 3rd edition, volume III, London: […]...
    Synonyms:
    multilinguist, polyglotter, polyglottist, polylinguist
  3. (also, figuratively) A mixture of languages or nomenclatures.
  4. A file that can be interpreted validly as multiple formats.
    • If you are interested in polyglot file formats, take a look at the polyglot web page in the Corkami wiki. There are various example polyglots, including a PDF file that is also a valid HTML file with JavaScript, as well as a valid Windows PE executable.2015, Joxean Koret, Elias Bachaalany, “Evading Scanners”, in The Antivirus Hacker’s Handbook, Indianapolis, Ind.: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, part II (Antivirus Software Evasion), page 148
  5. A program written to be valid in multiple programming languages.
  6. (obsolete) A bird able to imitate the sounds of other birds.

Adjective

polyglot (comparative more polyglot, superlative most polyglot)

  1. Of a person: speaking, or versed in, many languages; multilingual.
    • '[T]is thought the two and twenty Languages which Mythrydates the great Polyglot King of Pontus did ſpeak, wer all within the circumference of Anatolia in regard his dominions extended but a little further: […]1630 August 3 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “LVIII. To the Right Hon. the E. R.”, in [Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ.] A New Volume of Familiar Letters, […], 3rd edition, volume II, London: […] Humphrey...
    • For this flyaway son of a Phœnician did not seem to wait for the decision of the polyglot Judges of the Emigration Board.1910 January 12, Ameen Rihani, “On the Wharf of Enchantment”, in The Book of Khalid, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published October 1911, →OCLC, book the first (In the Exchange), page 38
  2. Containing, or made up of, several languages; specifically, of a book (especially a bible): having text translated into several languages.
    • a polyglot bible a polyglot lexicon
    Synonyms:
    polyglossic, polyglottal, polyglottic, polyglottish
  3. Comprising various (native) linguistic groups; multilingual.
    • A polyglot region without a clearly dominant culture may develop an artificial lingua franca, such as Pidgin English in the South Sea.
    • Even in Switzerland, one of the most polyglot of nations, no more than 10 percent of the people are capable of writing a simple letter in English.1990, Bill Bryson, “English as a World Language”, in the Mother Tongue

polyglot meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada

polyglot in Hindi

one who has mastered (especially when able to speak) several languages
भाषाविद् bhāṣāvid
of a person: speaking, or versed in, many languages — see also multilingual, plurilingual
बहुभाषी bahubhāṣī

polyglot in Tamil

one who has mastered (especially when able to speak) several languages
பன்மொழியாளர் paṉmoḻiyāḷar

polyglot in Malayalam

ബഹുഭാഷജ്ഞൻ, പലഭാഷകളിലുള്ള, ബഹുഭാഷിയായ, ബഹുഭാഷകളായ

polyglot in Kannada

ಬಹುಭಾಷಾ ಕೋವಿದ, ಬಹುಭಾಷಾವಿದ, ಹಲನುಡಿಗ
More languagesFewer languages
polyglot in Arabic
مَزِيج مِن اللُّغَات mazīj min al-luḡāt, بُولِيجْلُوت būlīglūt
polyglot in Indonesian
poliglot, multibahasawan
polyglot in Persian
چندزبانه čandzabâne, متکلم به چند زبان motekallem be čand zabân, چند زبانه čand zabâne

Examples of polyglot in a sentence

  • Fo speaks in “grammelot,” a kind of polyglot gabble speckled with an occasional intelligible word.
  • However, Byzantium, like the Roman Empire, remained a polyglot, multinational and polysectarian state during the greater part of its existence.
  • At the same time, varieties persist, almost like a thorn in the side of monoglots, as polyglots and aspiring heteroglots gently mock their monolithic and one-sided worldview.

All 10 example sentences with polyglot

Synonyms of polyglot

All synonyms of polyglot

Forms of polyglot

Noun
pluralpolyglots
alternative formpolyglott
Adjective
comparativemore polyglot
superlativemost polyglot

Origin of polyglot

PIE word *glōgʰs Borrowed from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), alternative form of Ancient Greek πολῠ́γλωσσος (polŭ́glōssos, “speaking many languages, multilingual”), from πολῠ́ς (polŭ́s, “a lot of, many”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- (“to fill”)) + Attic Greek γλῶττα (glôtta), Ancient Greek γλῶσσᾰ (glôssă, “tongue; language”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *glōgʰs (“tip of corn”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming o-grade action nouns). The English word is analysable as poly- + -glot. Noun sense 1 (“publication in several languages”) is probably derived from Late Latin polyglottus, from Attic Greek πολύγλωττος (polúglōttos): see above.

Words formed from polyglot

Questions about polyglot

What does polyglot mean?
Polyglot means a publication in several languages; specifically, a book (especially a bible) containing several versions of the same subject matter or text in several languages.
What is polyglot in Hindi?
Polyglot in Hindi is भाषाविद् (bhāṣāvid), बहुभाषी (bahubhāṣī). See Polyglot meaning in Hindi.
What part of speech is polyglot?
Polyglot can be a noun or an adjective.
How do you pronounce polyglot?
Polyglot is pronounced /ˈpɒlɪɡlɒt/ (UK).
What is the plural of polyglot?
The plural of polyglot is polyglots.

Words near polyglot in the dictionary

  1. polyglossaries
  2. polyglossary
  3. polyglossia
  4. polyglossic
  5. polyglossy
  6. polyglot
  7. polyglotism
  8. polyglotisms
  9. polyglotry
  10. polyglots
  11. polyglott

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: polyglot (page history and authors); polyglot (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); polyglot (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-polyglot.wav, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-polyglot.wav.

Cite this entry: “polyglot.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/polyglot. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.